Jonathan Mayhew was elected Wednesday to replace J.B. Riggs Parker on the Chilmark board of selectmen, who did not seek re-election this year after serving his second term. Mr. Mayhew, who previously served three terms on the board before stepping down in 1994, was elected with 245 votes. His opponent William Rossi received 181 votes.

Reached yesterday at his home, Mr. Mayhew, who works as a commercial fisherman out of Menemsha, said he looks forward to serving the town. “I don’t have any great edicts about it,” he said. “I just want to do the best I can.” And he had nice words for his opponent, Mr. Rossi. “It was a good discourse,” Mr. Mayhew said.

The total election turnout was 430, just under 50 per cent of the town’s registered voters.

The race for the selectman position was the lone contest in Chilmark’s annual town election, though there were a small number of write-in candidates for different positions.

The remaining positions were elected as follows; Clarissa M. Allen, board of assessors, 355 votes; Katherine Lees Carroll, board of health, 365 votes; Richard C. Williams, finance advisory committee, 300 votes; J. Norman Freed, library trustee, 315 votes; Jane N. Slater, cemetery commissioner, 353 votes; Melanie D. Becker, treasurer, 352 votes; Everett H. Poole, moderator, 380 votes; Janet L. Weidner, planning board, 321 votes; John O. Flender, planning board, 320 votes; Daniel Bryant, constable, 361 votes; Keith L. Emin, tree warden, 362 votes; Clarissa M. Allen, site review committee, 348 votes.

Two write-in candidates were also elected, as follows; Steve Spongberg, surveyor of wood, lumber, and bark, 14 votes; Sam Feldman, fence viewer, 27 votes.